Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
PICTON, who had been watching with intense anxiety the contest
maintained by the 42nd and 44th British Regiments in their exposed
situation, and who had become convinced of the utter hopelessness of
obtaining any efficient support from the Allied Cavalry then in the
field, could no longer restrain his impatience to fly to the rescue
of the devoted Squares; and, as a substitute for Cavalry, he decided
upon immediately assailing that of the Enemy with his own oft tried
Infantry. With this view, he united the Royals (under Lieutenant
Colonel COLIN CAMPBELL) and the 28th Regiment, both of which Corps were
at that moment standing in Column at quarter distance. Led on by both
PICTON and KEMPT, the united Column, with loud shouts, boldly advanced
into the midst of the Enemy's Cavalry; the whole extent of ground along
its front appeared to swarm with Lancers, _Chasseurs à Cheval_, and
_Cuirassiers_, a considerable portion of whom were now seen rapidly
forming for an attack upon the Column; but PICTON constantly on the
alert, and at the same time desirous of arriving at such a distance
as would enable him to present an efficient flank fire in support of
the 44th Regiment, continued advancing until the last moment, when he
suddenly formed it into Square.
The repeated and furious charges which ensued, were invariably repulsed
by the Royals and the 28th, with the utmost steadiness and consummate
bravery; and although the Lancers individually dashed forward and
frequently wounded the men in the ranks, yet all endeavours to effect
an opening, of which the succeeding Squadron of Attack might take
advantage, completely failed. The ground on which the Square stood
was such that the surrounding remarkably tall rye concealed it in
a great measure, in the first attacks, from the view of the French
Cavalry until the latter came quite close upon it; but to remedy this
inconvenience, and to preserve the impetus of their charge, the Lancers
had frequently recourse to sending forward a daring individual to plant
a lance in the earth at a very short distance from the bayonets, and
they then charged upon the lance flag as a mark of direction.
The advance of the Royals and the 28th had been almost immediately
followed, under the same form, by that of the 32nd Regiment, which,
having reached a convenient distance, halted, and formed Square so as
to support, at the same time, by a flank fire, the Royals and 28th, and
the Square of the 79th Highlanders, which latter Regiment constituted a
connecting link with the 95th British Regiment upon the extreme Left.
Upon the advance of the Regiments belonging to KEMPT's and PACK's
British Brigades, BEST's Hanoverian Brigade occupied the Namur road in
their rear, along which the Landwehr Battalions Lüneburg, Osterode, and
Münden (respectively commanded by Lieutenant Colonel RAMDOHR, Major
REDEN, and Major SCHMID) were deployed, while the Landwehr Battalion
Verden (under Major DECKEN), also in line, was posted somewhat in
advance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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